The exploitation of oil fields even under the arctic ice is becoming of increasing economic interest. However, one major problem in maritime oil production has to do with the danger of accidents. For this reason, methods are developed for removing oil from maritime systems.
Known from US 2008/0135494 A1 is an apparatus having a unit that operates underwater and a surface vessel.
However, extraction from a surface vessel is not possible under a closed ice cover. In addition, the oil normally rises, and thus accumulates directly under the ice cover. In case of an accident, efforts are nowadays thus made to get at the oil through boreholes or cuts in the ice, so as extract or bind it. However, this is expensive, slow and unable to completely reach the oil under the ice cover.
Known from WO 2012/168334 A1 is a submarine for fighting oil pollution. For example, the latter can have a trunk as part of an oil extraction device.
However, it was shown that a submarine is in itself too big to extract oil that has accumulated on the underside of ice. In addition, the submarine is itself exposed to danger given the often very irregular surface of the ice. This holds true in particular since oil can only be precisely detected at a comparatively small distance.
Thus a need exists for a device for reliably reaching, locating and extracting oil that has accumulated on the underside of ice.